The surrogate
It begins with a woman who yearns for a baby and another who is willing and able to give her one. You can imagine the motives of the prospective parents. But what about the woman willing to carry a baby, give birth and then walk away?
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
Has one of the A-Train's business ventures derailed?
JustLookItUp.com, a commercial search engine co-founded and personally marketed by Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Mike "A-Train" Alstott, is showing signs of financial distress.
Launched two years ago by Alstott and Clearwater-based Bottom Line Productions, JustLookItUp.com lets consumers search by name or topic for the Web sites of Tampa Bay area businesses. A print version of the database, JustWebsites, was supposed to be mailed to 1-million local households. Alstott and Bottom Line CEO Mike Harter claimed the service would help the bay area economy by encouraging consumers to buy local.
But signs of trouble are mounting:
• Last week, three former employees of Bottom Line Productions sued Alstott, Harter and other project backers for allegedly bouncing multiple paychecks. The plaintiffs include the company's former general manager and comptroller.
• In February, a Pinellas County court gave Bottom Line's landlord permission to take over its 4,200-square-foot premises due to nonpayment of rent. Bottom Line did not respond to the lawsuit.
• An unrelated lawsuit filed last month by a Bottom Line client, Health 4 Wealth Corp. of Largo, accused Harter of misappropriating company revenues for personal use.
Attempts to reach Alstott were unsuccessful Monday. In an e-mail, Harter gave limited responses but said Alstott "no longer has any affiliation with this company and it would be unjust to discredit him and his name in this community."
Harter also took aim at the lawsuit filed by ex-staff members Carl Thompson, Lindsey Carmichael and Gayle Levine. "Carl Thompson was the general manager that wrote the bad checks and Lindsey was the comptroller and assistant to Carl," Harter wrote. "I am shocked that they would open up this can of worms for themselves."
Dianna D. Williams, a JustLookItUp.com investor, defended the project Monday. In an interview, she said the bounced paychecks were an honest mistake. She also accused Bottom Line's landlord of illegally seizing the company's computers and other property and called JustLookItUp.com a "great idea" that merely ran out of capital.
Williams said Bottom Line ultimately printed just 100,000 directories because $1-million in pledged investments fell through at the last moment.
She also criticized the "little brats" who sued Harter, investor Alstott and others last week over unpaid wages. "They were on board until a bump in the road, and when the bump in the road came, they all scattered," Williams said. "These kids don't understand how business works. … They just want to be angry."
Although JustLookItUp.com lists the St. Petersburg Times as a "sponsor/affiliate" of the Web site, Times creative manager Robin Lankton said the newspaper was strictly an advertiser. In a one-year agreement signed in April 2007, the paper paid $10,000 for banner ads and for a half-page ad in JustWebsites.
Scott Barancik can be reached at barancik@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8751.
[Last modified: Apr 07, 2008 05:10 PM]
Comments on this article
by Reality
Apr 3, 2008 3:40 PM
From what I understand, Mike needs to learn how to read, that may help his business. Literacy is important.
by Cheryl
Apr 3, 2008 2:04 PM
Bounced check(s) are honest mistakes in a business? How is it honest if it occurs multiple weeks in a row? And when did being just equal anger?
by PS
Apr 3, 2008 2:04 PM
The could employee 40 families because they charged local business overpriced advertising rates and NEVER delivered. In all reality the community would have been better off if they would have not come into the picture.
by Frank
Apr 3, 2008 6:26 AM
Bottom Line employed 40 families with jobs last year plus donated over 50k to help local charities. They brought together 100's of relationships and they were on there way to making a dream come true. But that is not news. Nothing positive ever
by Ana
Apr 3, 2008 6:25 AM
The problem with this business model is that people are not looking for online local businesses. They are looking for local businesses and if they are online that is a bonus. This model is flawed. Over priced shaddy sales wont help a bad business.
by DC
Apr 2, 2008 9:57 AM
What type of business person would call employees "little brats". Your employees don't have to stick around when the going gets tough ... that is why they are called "employees" and not "owners". Dianna D. Williams
by Cindy
Apr 1, 2008 3:20 PM
What a shame. The site leaves alot to be desired. Poorly designed and executed. If u hadnt spent Mikes money on a F-650 & instead a better site w/better mgmt. u'd still be here! Sorry to hear Mike is associated & losing out! need be
by D.
Apr 1, 2008 3:20 PM
What kind of newspaper interviews just one side of a story? This article clearly shows sympathy to the Company and investors while ignoring the valid complaint of employees who were trying to support their families. Outrageous!! Shame on you!!
by Mike
Apr 1, 2008 3:19 PM
Didn't Alstott used to have a pizza place down the street from the Trop that stayed in business for about two months? Maybe business accumen is not one of the A-Train's strongest attributes.
by adam
Apr 1, 2008 3:19 PM
i of know a company that paid to advertise in this genius idea and they screwed up the print of the business name and overcharged. huge waste of money.the worst idea ever-create a print phone book for local business websites,ever herd of google?
by John Klopfer
Apr 1, 2008 3:02 PM
ouch!
by Bob
Apr 1, 2008 12:41 PM
These employees are not "brats" they wish to be paid for their efforts. I was an employee and they owe me money too; but I don't expect to see a dime.
Subscribe to the Times
Click here for daily delivery
of the St. Petersburg Times.
News
